Don't expect bitcoin's recent failures to be the end of crypto-currencies.

Tech executives and industry professional at South by Southwest Interactive are steadfast in the belief that virtual currency is here to stay.

"There are two questions that are important to ask. One is, what is the future of crypto-currency? And it's very obvious to all of us that crypto-currency is inevitable," said Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas at a panel at SXSWi on Friday.

"There's a danger in having it not be regulated in some form, but people will take it and debate that as this plays out," he said.

The other question? Whether other crypto-currencies will be modeled after bitcoin, or full an as-yet-unknown model.

"Is it going to be like the Napster of crypto-currencies? I think that we don't know. This is still a pretty new space," he said.

Bitcoin feels more volatile right now because people are still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that it's bits and not paper, said Nico Sell, the CEO of the messaging app Wickr. But that mentality won't last forever, she added.

"The spikes are amazing right now, but bitcoin is one many virtual currencies. These currencies are 100 percent the future, but we are in the beginning of figuring this all out, but crypto currency is stronger than paper, but we are early on in the process," Sell said. "I'm sure paper didn't work so well in the beginning either."